Israel widely condemned for blocking aid to Gaza

A truck with humanitarian aid enters Gaza from the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, on Feb. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

GAZA, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Israel's decision to block humanitarian aid to Gaza since early Sunday has sparked fierce condemnation from Palestinian factions, regional countries, and international organizations.

At the start of a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision "to prevent any entry of goods and supplies into Gaza" was made to pressure Hamas into accepting a new proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal, which he said was put forth by U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff.

He warned that Hamas would face "additional consequences" if it did not agree to the proposal.

In response, Hamas condemned the decision, calling it in a statement a "blatant attempt to renege on the agreement and evade negotiations for its second phase." The group said blocking aid to Gaza's 2 million residents was "cheap blackmail and a war crime" and urged mediators and the international community to press Israel to reverse the decision.

Mahmoud Meedawi, a senior Hamas official, said in a press statement that the group refused to extend the first phase of the agreement with Israel, stressing the need to implement all its phases as originally signed.

Palestinian people have their iftar meal among destroyed houses on the first day of Ramadan in the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalia, March 1, 2025. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine called the decision "a flagrant violation of the ceasefire" and an indication that Israel seeks to evade the second phase of the agreement.

The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine also condemned the decision, calling it an escalation of Israel's "starvation warfare" against Gaza's population, which will only deepen the already dire humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

Islamic Jihad called the decision "a crime against humanity" in a press statement. It accused the United States of shielding Israel as it continues to provide military aid and political cover for it.

Faisal Aranki, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, told Xinhua that Israel's decision will worsen Gaza's already severe shortages of essential goods and medical supplies.

"The Israeli government bears full responsibility for the deteriorating humanitarian conditions due to its violations of the ceasefire agreement and its obstruction of aid deliveries," Aranki said, urging international pressure on Israel to reopen border crossings.

In a press statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry warned of the decision's catastrophic consequences, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan.

"We strongly reject the politicization of humanitarian aid and its use as a tool for extortion," it said, calling on the international community to hold Israel accountable and ensure the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Palestinian children are seen in one of the displacement camps at the Al-Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza City, on Feb. 25, 2025. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Sunday that using aid as a weapon of collective punishment and starvation in Gaza is unacceptable and impermissible, affirming that this act represents a blatant and explicit violation of international humanitarian law.

At a joint press conference in Cairo with European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica, Abdelatty reaffirmed the importance of fully and faithfully implementing the ongoing ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.

Israel's decision constitutes a flagrant breach of the ceasefire agreement and a blatant violation of international law, and poses a serious threat of renewed escalation in the region, Jordan's Foreign Ministry said Sunday in a statement.

The ministry emphasized the urgent need for Israel to cease using starvation as a weapon against Palestinians and innocent civilians by imposing a blockade, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.

It also called on the international community to compel Israel to abide by the ceasefire agreement, ensure the implementation of all its phases, and reopen the crossings designated for delivering humanitarian aid to all areas of Gaza.

According to a UN statement posted Sunday on social media platform X, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "humanitarian aid to flow back into Gaza immediately and for the release of all hostages," and urged "all parties to make every effort to prevent a return to hostilities in Gaza."

A Palestinian child walks in one of the displacement camps at the Al-Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza City, on Feb. 25, 2025. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Tom Fletcher, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, called Israel's decision "alarming" on X.

"International humanitarian law is clear: We must be allowed access to deliver vital lifesaving aid. We can't roll back the progress of the past 42 days. We need to get aid in and the hostages out. The ceasefire must hold," he wrote.

The ceasefire has "saved countless lives and provided a glimmer of hope amid immense suffering" and "is essential to prevent the region from plunging back into despair," Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said Sunday in a statement.